Explore This Path

Shoe & Leather Worker

💰 Earn $36K-$40K

📚 High School Diploma or GED

⏱️ 6–12 Month Training

📈 -3.8% Job Growth

Craft unique leather goods with precision and creativity for diverse uses.
Enhance everyday items with skilled leatherwork, impacting fashion and utility.
Blend tradition and innovation in leather crafting for personalized, lasting products.

What Shoe & Leather Workers DoConstruct, decorate, or repair leather and leather-like products, such as luggage, shoes, and saddles. May use hand tools.

Dye, soak, polish, paint, stamp, stitch, stain, buff, or engrave leather or other materials to obtain desired effects, decorations, or shapes.
Cut out parts, following patterns or outlines, using knives, shears, scissors, or machine presses.
Construct, decorate, or repair leather products according to specifications, using sewing machines, needles and thread, leather lacing, glue, clamps, hand tools, or rivets.
Repair and recondition leather products such as trunks, luggage, shoes, saddles, belts, purses, and baseball gloves.
Align and stitch or glue materials such as fabric, fleece, leather, or wood, to join parts.

Shoe & Leather Workers Education, Salary, and Growth

Minimum EducationHigh School Diploma or GED

Career ProspectsShaky (Decreasing by 1-5%)

Training Time6 months to 1 year

Job Openings900 Annually

Median Earnings

$37,120 in California

$35,950 Nationally

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Only you can decide how much you need to earn — but knowing what it actually costs to live in your area can help. The Family Budget Calculator can guide you.

Is This Career Right For You?

YOU Like

Being creative or artistic
Using data or completing tasks
Working with my hands

you value

Accomplishing things
Having support
Having freedom

you are skilled in

Operation and Control
Operations Monitoring
Speaking
Monitoring
Critical Thinking
Quality Control Analysis

Go Deeper: Shoe & Leather Workers Explained

Shoe & Leather WorkerExplore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.

How Do You Train for This Career?

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

ApprenticeshipAn apprenticeship typically offers a combination of hands-on training and classroom instruction, leading to practical skills, industry-specific knowledge, and the potential for long-term employment in a specific trade or profession.

🎓 Paid Work

⏱️ Finish in 2-5 years

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